I just finished reading A Gospel Primer - Learning to See the Glories of God's Love by Milton Vincent. What a gift this book is! A picture comes to mind to describe what Milton has done with this book. The gospel is indeed precious, like the most beautiful of diamonds. Milton takes this precious diamond and keeps turning it so that the light of the sun reflects off it and leaves you standing in awe of it's beauty. We could never exhaust the glories of Calvary! The more I learn about the gospel, the more I stand in awe of God...in awe of His glory, His mercy, His patience, His goodness...and on and on I could go. Rehearsing the gospel has a humbling and gratitude producing affect on my soul. And, since I will never grow beyond my need for the gospel or my daily need to be reminded of the gospel, this is not a book I plan on putting away. Not only is it drenched with Scripture references, it also includes two gospel narratives (one prose version and one poetic version). I heartily recommend this book as a helpful supplement to your feasting on God's Word. Just to wet your pallet:
Thankfulness Enriched by Relief
"The more absorbed I am in the gospel, the more grateful I become in the midst of my circumstances, whatever they may be.
Viewing life's blessings as water in a drinking cup, I know that I could discontentedly focus on the half of the cup that seems empty, or I could gratefully focus on the half that is full. Certainly, the latter approach is the better of the two, yet the gospel cultivates within me a richer gratitude than this.
The gospel reminds me first that what I actually deserve from God is a full cup churning with the torments of His wrath (Revelation 14:10 & Psalm 75:8). This is the cup that would be mine to drink if I were given what I deserve each day. With this understanding in mind, I see that to be handed a completely empty cup from God would be cause enough for infinite gratitude. If there were merely the tiniest drop of blessing contained in that otherwise empty cup, I should be blown away by the unbelievable kindness of God toward me. That God, in fact, has give me a cup (Psalm 116:12-13 & Psalm 23:5) that is full of "every spiritual blessing in Christ," (Ephesians 1:3) and this without the slightest admixture of wrath, leaves me truly dumbfounded with inexpressible joy. As for my specific earthly circumstances of plenty or want, I can see them always as infinite improvements on the hell I deserve.
When I look at any circumstance that God apportions me, I am first grateful for the wrath I am not receiving in that moment (The empty part of the cup never looked so good!). Second, I am grateful for the blessings that are given to me instead of His wrath. (Life's blessings, however small, always appear exceedingly precious when viewed against the backdrop of the wrath I deserve.) This two-layered gratitude disposed my heart to give thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and it also lends a certain intensity to my giving of thanks. Such a gospel-generated gratitude glorifies God, contributes to peace of mind (Philippians 4:6-7), and keeps my foot from the path of foolishness and ruin (Romans 1:21-22, 28-29)."
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